Mystery Writing Suspense

Three charming small-town cozy mysteries set in the heart of Derbyshire — perfect for fans of Richard Osman, M.C. Beaton, and classic British whodunits. Welcome to The Bookworm Bookshop & Café, where the coffee is warm, the friendships are strong, and murder is never far from the next chapter. Join Gemma, Mavis, and the rest of Belper’s quirky residents as they turn amateur sleuths. This collection includes the first three complete novels in The Bookshop Mysteries — over 21 hours of murder, secrets, and small-town intrigue.

When Penelope, the wife of a bestselling thriller author, walks into the Bookworm Bookshop and Café, she makes Gemma an offer she can’t refuse: to work for her as a private investigator. Penelope suspects that her husband is cheating on her and wants physical evidence before she files for divorce. Gemma agrees to help, but her investigation quickly leads her and her sidekick, the ever-curious Mavis into a web of literary egos and secrets that should have stayed between the pages of a bestseller, and not real life.

Julia Malmros is thriving. A former police officer making her way in the world of crime fiction, she’s turning popularity into fame by writing the next book in a world-renowned suspense series. To help her research, Julia connects with Kim Ribbing. More hacker than man, Kim bears a dark past that’s the very antithesis of the promising future she has planned for herself. They share an undeniable spark—yet it’s likely to implode. That’s the least of Julia’s worries. Hounded by publicity, Julia retreats to her cottage in the Stockholm archipelago.

Detective Kim Brady must find the killer of Mariano Avila, beloved community activist and immigration lawyer in Brooklyn. The only eyewitness, Amara, a fifteen-year-old undocumented escapee from a human trafficking ring, has described the killer as wearing a police uniform. Kim discovers the details of the murder match those of a cold case from several months earlier. Saddled with a partner who is an unqualified rookie cop forced on her unit by a local state senator with mayoral aspirations, Kim's investigation is micromanaged from above.

MATT. ALEXANDRA. OLIVIA. CHARLIE. The only survivors when two gunmen opened fire in a Chicago coffee shop, leaving fourteen people dead. Matt, Alexandra, and Olivia are the "lucky" ones—spared when the gunmen forced hostages to count off, releasing only those marked with the number six. Charlie isn’t as fortunate, miraculously surviving a bullet to her spine, which leaves her in a coma.

When medical intern Harry Lindmark’s patient gruesomely dies, he fears an Angel of Death is loose in his hospital. Soon, however, Harry falls under suspicion when unexpected deaths mount. His desperate investigation to clear his name reveals a nightmarish conspiracy—hungering souls of those long-dead are killing his patients, led by the vengeful soul of former physician Sylvester Morrow, as heartless in death as he was in life.

In this crime drama, detective Varg Veum's adventures take him into the world of privileged teenage girls who have been drawn into drugs and prostitution. The situation worsens when the local judge is found dead in a luxury hotel, clad only in women's lingerie. Called in by anxious parents to look for a missing daughter and explain the judge's death, Varg is led deep into Bergen's criminal underworld.

Ten years working as a prosecutor have left Meredith Delay jaded and unsure of what she wants out of life. She's good at her job, but it haunts her. Her boyfriend wants her to commit, but she keeps him at arm's length. Then Meredith is assigned to a high-profile prosecution involving the violent murder of a fallen hockey star. At first, it appears to be just another case to work. But when her old friend Julian is accused of the murder, it takes on a whole new dimension.

Maddie and Patrick are hired to find a woman who might be a prophet...or maybe a witch. The governor's daughter has been cursed and no one can find the woman the Secret Service believes may be responsible. She begins to wonder if any of them can be trusted. Many changes are coming and Maddie is still struggling to deal with her past. She needs to figure out what's going on with the help of Quinn's tech and her own intelligence.

Charlie and Simm, Montreal pub owners with a knack for sleuthing, thought they were taking on a straightforward case when Noah Wolfe hired them to find his missing family fortune. Their search leads them to the idyllic town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, where they quickly realize this is no ordinary investigation. Joined by Noah's sharp-witted sister-in-law, Sarah, they dig into the Wolfe family's past at a grand estate brimming with secrets.

Retired psychotherapist Cheryl Hanover knows secrets—painful truths her clients trusted would never leave her office. But after a string of losses, including her husband, her sister, and her position as director of a mental health clinic, Cheryl feels untethered. Grieving, alone, and restless, she finds purpose in taking on the responsibility to make things right—even if it means breaking the sacred confidentiality of her profession. She sends nine anonymous letters, each revealing facts she believes someone needs to hear.

Javier Jimenez is on a glide path to college while his brother, Alex, has done a 180 and is heading for trouble. Neither, however, have any idea what's coming their way when George Jones sets in motion his plan for their neighborhood. It's a cataclysmic vision of urban renewal replete with manmade disasters, civil unrest, and a tsunami of ambitious Zoomers.

Ex-cons Steve Wilson and Eddie Jones are struggling to make it in Los Angeles, two-strike losers dodging a third and life in the slammer...until the phone call that changes everything for them. Eddie's brother back in Jersey has brain cancer, and no insurance. In the wisdom imparted by smoking some righteous bud, the bungling pair concoct a plan to travel across the nation from L.A. to Atlantic City, robbing stores along the way to get the cash for Jimmy's operation. All they have to do is avoid the law and get the money to Atlantic City and Eddie's Uncle Vinnie.

As a writer for hire, Veronica Blackstone puts her keyboard to use to help others. That includes writing advertising copy for local businesses and love letters for those needing romantic help. Tony Richards needs the latter. Debonair, charismatic, handsome, Tony seems like the last person who’d need help with love letters, but help him Veronica does…only, Tony owes her money and won’t tell her anything about the woman she’s writing the love letters for. When Tony is found dead, his real name is revealed as Ted Roberts. Why did he lie about his name?

A missing federal agent, suitcases full of cash, a secluded cabin in the woods. Spider Lake is no longer the peaceful retreat John Cabrelli needs to recover from his gunshot wounds and start a new life. Knowing Cabrelli is a former law enforcement officer, the new chief of police recruits him to help untangle a string of strange events in the little town of Musky Falls. Cabrelli and a colorful team of local residents land in the center of a fast-paced action thriller with a surprise ending that’s sure to make your head spin.

Jane Roland and her painter friends are enrolled in a watercolor retreat at the picturesque Gardens and Horses Resort. They're looking forward to a week of sun-drenched landscapes, sleek racehorses, art instruction, and — best of all — laughter and conversation. Out for their first stroll, the women discover a dead thoroughbred in the pretty reflecting pool. Next evening, they find the handsome young stable man in the horse watering trough. Surely, there's a link between them?

Rae Greyson thinks using sarcasm is like wearing underwear: nice or nasty, it must be part of a daily routine. Her other quirks include nail biting, finding solace in soothing sounds and tripping over dead bodies. Strong and witty, Rae feels no need to have a male in her life. Unexpectedly, she ends up with three: tasty Stone Winters; adoring nephew, Bash; and remarkable Tiny, a Great Shepherd who is the size of a Russian transport helicopter. Normally avoiding large dogs, Rae can't seem to shake this one, especially while house-sitting her boss's Victorian manor.

Language Arts teacher Mrs. Kelsey Swan randomly has her students pick a writing assignment to be completed in two weeks from a top hat. Seventeen-year-old Veronica "Vroni" Swan draws the legend of her two times great-grandfather having buried treasure somewhere in Swanson. Not only must she write about her family, but her partner on this assignment is the awkward Suzie Carmichael.

Charismatic minister King Avery persuades state and federal authorities to split North Carolina into two states. He calls his Westcarolina “the first Christian state,” one he will stamp with his own beliefs. The Charlotte Press hires high-profile Texas reporter Annie Price to investigate Avery, his new state, and his God’s Gift Church. The minister, in his new role as governor of Westcarolina, attempts a variety of bizarre changes. The first one would banish Wiccans (witches) from the Christian state, a move that exposes them to potential danger.

Detective Simon Grave's tour of a local winery turns sour when a body is discovered in the fermentation tank for his favorite wine, Duct Tape Chardonnay. To solve the murder, he and his team of fellow detectives will have to question strangers, a long-lost love, and his choice in wines.